Apparatus and process for casting chain-links.



W. P. CUNNINGHAM.

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CASTING CHAIN LINKS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, I918. v

ggg 'mg Patented Feb. 20, ms.

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APPARATUS AND PROCESSFOR CASTING CHAIN LINKS.

APPLICATION Fl-LED JULY 9. 1918.

ldtented- Feb. 25, 1919.

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.P, CUNNINGHAM. APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR (LA-STING CHAIN LINKS.

APPLICATION FILE!) lllLY 9. 1918 Patgnted Feb. 25, 1919,

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E1) sTii'rEs PATENT orrrcn.

,- WILLIAM'P. or nonnisrown, PENNSYLVANIA.

I APPARATUS AIVD PROCESS FOR CASTING CHAIN-LINKS.

To all whom may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. CUN- NINGHAM, a citizen; of the United States and a resident of Norristown, county Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have of the link and this section hasa invented certain Improvements in Apparahis and Processes for Casting Chain-Links, of which the following is a specification.

One object'of myinvention is to improve the method of making chains of the type known as anchor chains, in which there is a web extending across each link at the center, but it will be understood'that the invention can also be used in the manufacture of ordinary link chains. 1

A further object of the invention 1s-to d1spense with intricate molds in the manufacture of the chain and to make a pattern in such a manner that it can be readily drawn from a one-part mold.

'A still further object of-the invention is to make a single pattern which will form a quarter section of a chain in such'manner that molds made from a single pattern can bearranged side by side'so as to form a continuous mold for a chain. 1

In the accompanyingdrawings: Fi ure 1 is a plan view of the flask, showing t e pattern in position; v

Fig. Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33,

. Fig. 1;

I Fig. 6; the section being similar to that illus- Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one section of the detachable pattern forming one-quarter. of one of, the links;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective; view of the other section of the detachable pattern'j' Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the mold on the line similar to that of Fig. 2, the pattern being removed; Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7,

trated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a seriesof molds assembled to make a continuous chain; Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 99, Fig. 8;'

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the assem-l bled sections; and

Fig. 10 is a side view of a section of the I cast chain.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the bottom board to which is secured the pattern 2, which is one-quarter of one of the links to v Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 9,1918. Serial No. 244,034.

pattern in place. The other section 6 of the arrangement retains the pattern in place Pins 14 7 15 in place and these pins can be located in the holes in the'flask 3, or in the-opposite holes,

2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2,

. in the vertical position an arranged alternately side by molds-are suitably supported' necting the several gates,

Patented-Feb. 25, 1919.

' be cast. 3 is the flask and 4 is one-quarter of the pattern of one of the other links of the chain to be cast. The pattern is made in two parts 5 and 6. The part 5 is the curved section'forming one-half of one end projecting pin 7 which enters a hole in the bottom board 1 so as to retain this portion of the pattern 4- has a portion 8, which is one-, quarter of the pattern of the connecting web, which is present in substantially all anchor chains. This section has a perforation 9 and the section 5 is perforated at 10 in line with 11, which extends through the wall of the flask 3, through the section 6 and into the section 5, as clearly shown inFig. 3. This while the sand. is being rammed around it.

14 and 15 are'the patterns for the gates and 13 is a triangular piece set in the mold forming the fiat upper surface of the mold when in position for pouring, as in Fig. 9. and 15 retain the patterns l i and as shown in Fig. 2, when it is desired to shift the patterns for the gates. The pattern 2, as hereinbefore stated, forms onequarter of one of the links and has a portion ,12 forming one-quarter of the. web extending between the side members of the link. When the patterns are assembled, as in Figs.

'1, 2 and 3, the sand is rammed aroundthe several patterns, including the gate patterns 14 and 15, and when the-patterns are withdrawn from the formed mold, the mold is as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. ,Then these several guarter molds are assembled, as in Figs. 8 an the molds are side, the partternately on 0" the horiing line of the molds being planes at angles of degrees? zontal, as clearly shown in}; 1g 9.. The

.g-thisposition by a casing, or box, and thelheader conas shownfin-Fig. be made in any ordinary manner.

10, may

When. the molten metal-is poured into'the header it flows from the several gates and. into the mold cavities, producing a continu-' one series of enchained links, shown in Fig. 10. The gates are of the links and the chains finished;

7bthe perforations 9 for the reception of a pin 9, with the pouringjogenings' or gates as' clearly in broken off It will be understood that in making the molds, the gate patterns 14 and 15 will only be used on one-half of the series of molds, viz., the upper half. In making the molds for the lower series, the gate patterns are omitted, making the mold as clearly shown in Fig. 9.

I claim:

1. The combination in apparatus for casting chain links, of a flask; a bottom board; a half section of a portion of a link pattern secured to the said board; a pattern of a quarter section of a link mounted vertically and made in two parts; means for securing ,the parts together and to the flask so that when the sand is rammed around the attern and the pattern is withdrawna mold for a section of enchained links is formed and when a series of these mold sections is arranged side by side a mold for a complete series of enchained links is formed so that when the metal is poured a continuous chain is produced.

2. The combination in apparatus for casting chain links, of a flask; a bottom board; a

uarter section of a link pattern secured to t e bottom board; a quarter section of another link pattern arranged at right angles to the first mentioned section and located in the flask, said last mentioned quarter section bein made in two arts' and means for securing said parts together and to the flask so that when the sand is rammed around the patterns in the flask and the flask and the bottom board are removed, the two parts of the pattern can 'be withdrawn from. the mold, one in one direction, and the other in the opposite direction.

3. The combination in apparatus for making anchor chains, in which each link has a cross bar at the center, of a flask; a bottom board; a quarter pattern of a link having a quarter section of across bar formed there on; a complete pattern of another quarter section of a link; a quarter section of anlink arranged at right angles to the other pattern and extending into the space between the end of the link and the cross bar, said pattern also having a quarter section of a cross bar, the latter pattern being made in two parts; and means for cou ling the two parts together and to .the flas z, the part with the quarter section of the cross bar terminating at the flask, while the other section terminates at the bottom board so that when the sand is rammed around the patterns and the flask and the bottom board are removed, the twopart pattern for one of the link portions can be removed by withdrawing it laterally from the sand and the other by turning it in the sand, producing a section of a mold which, when assembled :with the other sections, forms a complete pattern for' a continuous chain.

a cross bar, of a flask having a bottom board; a quarter section of a link pattern secured to the bottom board; a vertically arranged two-part quarter section of a link extending over a portion of the link pattern on the bottom board; means for securing the two port-ions together andto the flask, one part being curvedin the segment of a circle and the other part having a portion of a cross bar pattern thereon, the last mentioned p iece being tapered and the segmental piece having a pin e, tending into an opening in the bottom board so as to steady said section when the sand is rammed in the flask and around the pattern, and when the flask and the bottom board are removed the two-part 'Jattern can be withdrawn by turning the curved part of the mold up and withdrawing the other part laterally from the mold.

5. The combination in apparatus for eastboard; a quarter section of a link pattern secured to the bottom board; a quarter section of another link pattern projecting at right angles from the first mentioned pattern and consisting of a curved and a straight section, the curved section extending over the first mentioned pattern; two

gate patterns connected to the two patterns inthe flask and extending at an angle to a triangular connecting pattern so arranged that when the mold is made, one half of the molds are made without the gate section and the other half with the gate section so that when the sections are assembled to form a continuous mold for the enchained links, they are arranged at an angle with the gates uppermost to enable the metal to be poured into each link cavity.

4. The combination in apparatus for castmg enchained links, in which each link has mg enchained links, of a flask; a bottom 6. The process herein described. of manu facturing a continuous chain, said process consisting in forming quarter molds for the links of the chain, arranging the quarter molds side by side with the link cavities at angles of tal, one-half of the mold sections havin gates arranged substantially in a verticail position, then pouring metal into the molds, and finally removing the sand in the molds, leaving a series of enchained links.

7. The process herein described of making a continuous chain, said process consisfing in making molds, one without gates and the other section with two gates, arranging the sections face to face and alternating the position of the pairs of molds so that all of the gates will be substantially in a vertical position,

while the mold cavitiestor the links will be substantially at right angles.

8. The process herein described of manufacturing a continuous chain, said process consisting in forming a series of molds, each forty-five degrees to the horizontwo series of quarter section I haivin two cavitiesiat right angles, one to end sections, then progressively pouring the the ot er, each cavity being for a quarter of metal into the molds thus formed, and con- 2. chain link, arranging the quarter molds tinuirig the pouring until the desired length 10. side by side Without individual flasks so of chain is attained.

5 that, when they are assembled, a series "of In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

cavities will be formed for complete en-- chained links, With the exception of the two WILLIAM P. CUNNINGHAM. 

